


With the Tide

by BuzzCat



Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: F/M, post-AWE, post-OST, what is their son's name???
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-13
Updated: 2015-07-13
Packaged: 2018-04-09 03:01:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4331271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuzzCat/pseuds/BuzzCat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elizabeth's patience with remaining on land finally runs out and it is almost too convenient that she runs into an old face at that very moment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	With the Tide

“Elizabeth!” called Will as he ran out of the house. She was already down the street, people with carts and others shouting to friends obstructing his view of her. He caught another flash of her, skirts held in her hands and still running without looking back. There was no way he was going to catch her. His hands fell to his sides and he sighed, going back into the house. There was nothing to do but wait for her to come home.

 

Elizabeth was in a tavern down the road, the loud shouting and music flowing over her as soothing as sinking her toes into the surf on the beach. The bottle of rum in her hand was already missing a few mouthfuls and Elizabeth turned the bottle in her hand as she thought.

The ten years Will was gone, not a day had gone by that she didn’t think of him. She’d done her job, as dictated by Calypso’s curse: been faithful and stayed on land to await his return. She’d raised their son and dreamed of Will’s return when they could all go out to sea again together. When Will had returned at the end of his ten years, he had wanted to remain on land. Elizabeth had agreed reluctantly. He hadn’t felt solid Earth beneath him in years and even though each evening she still longing turned her eyes to the watery horizon despite her husband already being home, she’d stayed on land with him.

That was a year ago. Now, they were still on land. Elizabeth had brought up leaving to Will that evening, after dinner. Will had kissed her cheek and put his hands on her wrists,

“Elizabeth, we don’t have to leave ever again. We can stay here and make a life for us and our son. Now that I’m free, we can be a family.” Elizabeth had torn her hands away and run, landing in this bar that bore a vague resemblance to Tortuga.

Couldn’t he see? Will might have been free but now it was Elizabeth in the cage, held behind bars of duty. She took another mouthful of rum and smiled wryly as she sang under her breath,

“Yo ho yo ho…”

“A pirate’s life for me.” joined in a familiar voice. Elizabeth spun in her chair and a grin split her face, the first in months,

“Jack!” She leapt up and threw her arms around him. He was stiff in her arms and Elizabeth stepped back, still smiling excitedly, “What are you doing here?”

“A far more important question, Your Majesty,” Jack swept a sarcastic bow, “is what is a happily married wench like yourself doing drinking alone?” he said. Her bright smile dimmed and she looked down. Jack walked around the table, plopping himself into the chair across from her and stealing her rum, drinking a mouthful and saying,

“Now don’t tell me that you ran out on Captain Turner before his ten years were up?”

“Of course not!” said Elizabeth, her head snapping up. Jack leaned forward, eying her closely before saying,

“What happened, Lizzie?” All the teasing was gone from his eyes and he looked almost sad for her. Elizabeth took her rum back and took a hearty swig before saying,

“He wants to go back.”

“’Back’? What, to the _Dutchmen_?”

“No. Back to before it all. Be a blacksmith and teach our son how to be a respectable businessman in town.”

“Sounds awful. Dreadfully boring.” said Jack. Elizabeth felt a bit guilty as she chuckled wryly,

“You’ve no idea.” She took another drink. Jack carefully examined his fingernails as he said,

“Far more boring than, say, a sailor’s life.” He looked at her and Elizabeth eyed him suspiciously,

“Jack…” she said. He leaned forward,

“I’m putting together a crew. I have a score to settle with the Spanish and could always use a Pirate King aboard.”

“Jack, I…” Elizabeth could just imagine. On the sea again, free again. Wind in her hair and salty spray on her face. Wearing pants again, instead of the less practical skirt she wore every day. She smiled just thinking about it. Her smile dimmed as she remembered her duties. She had a son. She had a husband. Will she wasn’t entirely concerned with. He’d learn to live without her, had done so for ten years. Perhaps he even knew that she wanted to leave. No, it was her son she was concerned for. How did you explain to a 10-year-old that she was leaving not because she had to, but because she wanted to?

And yet, Elizabeth _had_ to leave. She grew more restless by the day, more anxious to feel the ocean beneath her and be bound for any corner of the map. She looked Jack in the eye and said,

“When do you sail?”

“When I’ve got a crew. Still need a first mate.” he said, a grin unfurling on his face. Elizabeth lifted the mostly-empty bottle of rum to her lips,

“We sail with the tide.”


End file.
